The Last Dragon
by Caribou5150
Summary: In which the Last Dragon gets a second chance, as exactly that...a dragon. Reincarnated on the day of his death, Rhaegar Targaryen wakes to find himself within the body of a newly hatched dragon. After making a daring escape from a temple of R'hllor in Lys, he makes his way north, to find his only living child. His second son, Jon Snow. Jaehaerys Targaryen.
1. A Strange Meeting

Chapter One: Alone in the Dark

Running blindly; tears blurring his vision and a small torch in his hand, he can still hear her words. "Ned I've had enough of this! I will no longer put up with that boy being raised next to my son! The rightful heir to Winterfell, your own true born son. The bastard has no place next to Robb, you should have left sent him away as soon as you found out he existed, or better yet never taken him in at all!" Her voice full of anger and hate, he had never heard her say such harsh words till this morning. He knew that the Lady Catelyn disliked him due to his manner of birth; which he had recently found out about on his last name day, but he had never thought that she would wish gone. After all he made sure never to bother her or to step out of line, he did not know what he did to garner such hatred from the only mother figure he had ever known.

So deep in his thoughts he doesn't see the chunk of stone blocking his path, he trips, causing the torch to fly from his hand and fall into one of the many pools of heated water. Now shrouded in darkness, he collapses weeping at his new thoughts of helplessness. He does not know where he is, how to get out and knows no one will be able to find him down here, as the passage he traveled through was only known to him, having discovered it last year during a game of hide and go seek with his siblings.

His sobbing gets louder with the realization that he will most likely die down here, lost and alone, at the tender age of six name days. He is lost in his emotions for what seems like an eternity when he hears movement to his right. His small form still wracked with sorrow, begins to curl up in fear. "Who is there?" "Father?" He asks hopefully. He hears the movement again, a dragging sound followed by large thumps and what seems to be the clicking of steel on rock, like when his father taps the wet stone against his dagger after sharpening it. Jon's fear deepens at the sound, shakily asking again "Who's there?" In the darkness he can barely make out a figure, a large one at that, shifting from side to side, but that is all he can see. Even then he is not sure if it's real, or if it's his mind playing tricks on him.

Suddenly he hears the sound of something entering the pool of spring water next to him. He knows it's real now. Leaping to his feet, Jon stumbles backwards till he hits a wall, the stone warmed from the steam and water flowing through the pipes beneath. His breathing is erratic, heart pounding in his chest, and for a while that is the only sound he hears. It's so loud, ringing in his head like the bells the cooks use to signal when meals are ready, only it's amplified a thousand times. 'What if it's a ghost, or one of the creatures Old Nan talked about in her stories? What if it's a giant and it's going to eat me, or or or...' his mind races from thought to thought, barely leaving time for one idea to stick before the next is introduced. His mind goes blank when he hears a sort of breathing, large breaths going in and out at a steady pace.

Something alive was definitely down here with him.

The clicking and thumps move towards him, he hears the disturbance in the water again as well. He stops breathing for a moment when something touches his foot. It feels sharp, like a like a ... claw?! It lightly scratches at his boot, almost like it's trying to provide comfort; like when his father would rub his back when he was overwhelmed or ill. Now Jon is terrified and confused. Warm breath hits the top of his head and neck, he freezes again. Shaking like a leaf, he looks up. A hulking shadow hovers above him and just as he is about to scream he hears a voice, soft and soothing in its tone "Fear not sweetling, I won't hurt you. You have nothing to fear from me." The voice is deep and masculine, but sweet and almost musical in tone. It puts him slightly at ease, but he is still guarded. "Who are you? What are you?" Jon asks after a moment, his little voice shaking still. A deep rumble fills the room, almost like a laugh.

"Your questions will be answered another time, but for now you need to get back to your family. They are looking for you."

Shocked, Jon slowly pulls himself away from the wall. "How long have I been down here? How do I know I can trust you, I don't even know you?"

"It's like I said byka zaldrīzes, all of your questions will be answered in time. As for trust, I ask you to place your trust in a stranger, for it is your best hope of leaving this place." Seeing reason in the words spoken to him, Jon agrees nodding to himself. "Alright." He says meekly, a small amount of fear still coloring his tone.

"Good, now, let's return you to where you belong. I'll guide you out the way you came in. Just follow the directions I speak and you will be out in no time."

He stands up to face the direction he had come from, pulling away from the wall. It takes a while for Jon to answer, but after a moment he finds some courage and speaks.

"Alright, I trust you." Another deep rumble fills the room, this time a dim light accompanies it, allowing the small boy to see the floor in front of him, 'What... is that? Where did...' As if the voice could read his thoughts it responds "Do not turn around for the light is simply there to help you, have no fear byka zaldrīzes. Walk forward then turn right as you come upon the first set of stone arches, then continue until you see an old wooden door." Nodding, Jon does as the voice asks, though now unable to pinpoint its location in the dark, the gentle yellow light still behind him. After he turns right around the corner he hears movement following him.

"Is that you?" He asks worriedly.

"Yes."

Reassured, Jon continues his slow walk, searching for the door. He looks around him, familiarizing himself with the walls around him, incase he ever gets lost down here again. Finally, just a few paces ahead of him the door comes into view. He knows vaguely where he is now, having travelled up and down the stairs at the end of the room behind the door for a good year now.

"It is from here you must go on alone sweetling. But should you venture down this way again, I will be here." The voice sounds almost melancholy as it says this. "Why can't you come with me, surly being down here isn't any fun. You're all alone." Jon says, still facing the door, trying to muster up the courage to turn around. "Fear not for me, for I am not alone. The ghosts of the past keep me company down here." The voice responds ominously. "Are you a ghost?" A light snort comes from behind him, the warmer air flowing through Jon's long hair. "No."

"Oh."

"Then why can't you come with me?"

"I assure you little one, I can reach the world outside of this cellar but just not through the same means as you. Now hurry, you'll miss your dinner if you stay any longer." Jon feels a light nudge on his back, pushing him the last few paces to the door. What ever touched him was warm, no it was hot, burning almost, but at the same time calming, like the heat that escapes the hearth in the Great Hall on the coldest days.

Finally Jon opens the door, but not before turning his head slightly to see the source of the light as it disappears down the long hall, back in the direction from which it came. He only catches a glimpse before it fades, and gasps at what he sees. A long figure dragging around the corner, low to the ground, frills and spikes running along it's back... 'What are you?'


	2. Curiosity

**Note: I am so sorry I didn't get this out on Wednesday. Honestly life is kicking my butt right now. I'm okay though, just irritatingly busy. Hope you enjoy! Also i am thinking of posting a oneshot about ****Dany and how in her darkest hour she receives an unexpected visitor that stops her descent into madness, bringing back the Dany we all know and love. I might do it I might hold off. Idk. Let me know what you think! Sorry for the weird color change.**

'What are you'

The voice in his head repeated the question over and over again, wracking his brain for an answer. Yet he could not find one that was in any way logical. Was it even real? 'Of course it was real, you'd still be lost down there if it weren't' he scoffed.

Walking up the stairs and turning the corner into the dimly lit hall, Jon dragged his feet behind him. 'Hmm… could it have been a creature from Northern folklore? Like in the stories we are told before bed? Maybe Old Nan might know? After all she is the one who told us those stories.'

Recalling the different stories now, he can probably narrow it down some, that way he will be able to ask the older woman more specific questions about what he saw. 'It was large, that is easy to tell by the height of the light when it was behind him. It can speak, it makes a clinking sound when it moves; like unsheathed steel hanging from a belt, and it glows…' that one stumped him. One of the children of the forest… no it was too big a giant maybe, no it spoke common tongue, giants can't do that; at least that is what Old Nan says.'

'Would a ghost lie about being a ghost?' He thinks curiously, pausing for a moment.

'No, he said he wasn't a ghost, so what else is there?' Shaking the thought from his mind, he continues walking to the Great Hall for dinner.

'What about the myth of there being a dragon that heats the castle from its lair beneath us?' Would that explain what he had seen?

So lost in his train of thought Jon doesn't notice the footsteps approaching him from behind, nor does he hear the calls of his name as they try to catch him.

"JON!"

Feeling large hands suddenly pull him backwards and turn him around startles him. He looks up at the person connected to the hands and is relieved to see its only his father. "Where have you been! I've had the castle looking for you!" His father says as he holds Jon's face and checks him over to make sure he isn't injured. "Are you alright? You're not hurt are you?"

"No, I'm fine father. I was just… exploring." He says hoping his father doesn't notice his hesitation. "I am sorry if I worried you, I didn't mean to, honest."

The Lord of Winterfell sighs in relief, picking Jon up and holding the six name day old boy to his chest and begins to walk them to the Great Hall to make sure he eats. "Well you did, but I'm just happy you are unharmed. You were gone all day."

Jon looks down, then turns his head and looks over his father's shoulder, wrapping his small arms around Ned's neck.

"Now, lets get some food in you. You must be starving." Just then the boy's stomach growls loudly. They both laugh as Ned says "Sounds like you've got an angry wolf in there, best feed the beast before you turn into one." while tickling the boy lightly.

* * *

To say Rhaegar was elated was an understatement. He had finally met his son, Lyanna's son and oh how he looked like her.

Besides the obvious color of his hair, the boy had her jaw line, her ears, her mouth and even the set of her eyes. But as much as he saw his love in their son, Rhaegar also saw himself. He saw his cheek bones, his nose, the shape of his face and eyebrows. He would have to be careful later on, who knows how many people will notice the similarities between them. Worst of all Jaehaerys had his eyes, the dark color thankfully hiding the hint of amethyst that shined in the fire light, but Rhaegar knew the purple would become more prevalent as his son aged. As this was the case with all Targaryens.

It was hard for the former prince to watch his son leave after just meeting the boy. He could only hope he came back. Watching from a distance was one thing, but meeting him, speaking to him, spending time with him, that was all Rhaegar wanted. He begins to recall the time he had spent watching his son from afar, when his new body was still small enough to go unnoticed.

When he had heard about what had happened to Lyanna he was devastated. Just as he was when he heard of Elia, Aegon and Rhaenys. All he had wanted to do was bury himself in the sand and wither away so he could join his family. He wonders what had gone wrong, why hadn't Varys and Sers Jonathor, Barristan, Jamie and Lewyn gotten his family out of the Red Keep like he had planned, who let Tywin into the city in the first place, why were the Kingsgaurd not with his family during the sac?

After making peace with the fact that there was nothing he could do to bring his family back he said his goodbyes and flew north to do the same with Lyanna and their unborn babe.

He remembers when he first arrived in Winterfell, his new body had aged two years. He was roughly the size of a large dog at the time. It was tricky finding the cave opening that lead to the springs under the castle and from there the old carved stone passageway into the crypts. When he had nearly made his way to Lyanna's final resting place he saw her brother Eddard Stark kneeling before it with tears in his eyes. He was speaking softly to the statue of his sister.

"Lya, you wouldn't believe what he did today. The things that boy says, he came into the Great Hall babbling on about the owl he named in the broken tower, Winter he said. He was talking about how in his dream they were flying together, that he went all the way to the wall and back. Lya, he was talking about the different castles in such detail I almost couldn't believe my ears. If this persists, maybe I'll foster him with Howland when he is old enough. He is the only other person who knows."

"Figures though, your son would inherit a trait that would allow him to become the one thing you dreamed about constantly. Maybe that was why you and Howland got on so well, he is a warg and you always wanted to meet a warg."

Rhaegar had stopped listening after he had heard the words "...your son…" leave Eddard Stark's lips. He froze, his babe was still alive, he had a son.

When the Lord of Winterfell left the crypts Rhaegar wasn't far behind. Thankfully it was night so he had plenty of cover. He raced behind his good brother into the castle and set out in search of his son. He ran out of his hiding spot after Ned had retired into his chambers for the night and began sniffing under all of the doors in the hall, hoping to catch the scent of his blood.

He didn't have to search for long as a few doors down from the Lord's chambers he found what he was looking for. Hoping up into the air, he grabbed the handle and quietly swung the door open before dropping back to the floor. He peered inside to find that the room was shared, two small beds with one on either side of the room. I made sense for two small children to room together instead of alone.

On the right was a boy of about two with dark red hair, Lord Stark's son no doubt. And on the left his own. The boy had dark curly hair that very much resembles Rhaegar's own mass of silver curls. If a dragon could crack a smile, have no doubt that the largest you'd ever seen would be pulled across the dragon's lips in that moment.

Over the years, Rhaegar has tried to catch glimpses of his son from the hiding places he had familiarized himself with through out the grounds. But with in the next two years, his body had grown to the point where he could no longer remain camouflaged in dark corners or in the canopy of the Godswood. And so he had had to give up the visits he would pay his son, having to do so made him feel as though his chest was being smashed in by Robert's war hammer all over again.

He had wallowed for a while, but then started to explore the bowels of the keep, looking for another way to remain closer to Jaehaerys. And find one he did. He found he could hear the footfalls of those above him clearly with his enhanced hearing. So he learned to memorize the patterns of most of those who lived in the keep.

The structure of the walls beneath the keep were not the same as those above, but he adapted and knew the paths like the back of his hand now. When he found the space under the room Robb and Jaehaerys shared he was ecstatic. He settled down within the pools of the springs and simply listened to their routine every night. It was the same room where Jaehaerys had found him just hours ago.

* * *

Jon couldn't sleep. He was restless, tossing and turning throughout the night. He could not stop thinking about what he had seen. He didn't want to forget any detail.

Springing up from his bed, Jon dashed to the opposite corner of the room where a chest with all his toys and favorite things were kept and pulled out a piece of parchment, a bottle of ink and a quill. He had asked Maester Luwin a month ago for some new supplies so he could continue to draw. The Maester agreed knowing it was one of Jon's favorite things to do.

He got to work sketching the scene that was still so vividly etched in his mind. First was what he could make out of the walls, then came the long frilled thing that was dragging around the corner. Once a basic outline was done, he started to add in the details. Shadow and light for the dim glow the creature gave off and shading in charcoal for the darkness that made up the room. It took the rest of the night until he was satisfied with what he had drawn. Jon wasn't usually a perfectionist, but this, well it had to be perfect.

He only noticed the sun had risen when he heard Robb stir behind him. He quickly put away the drawing and supplies knowing the Septa would be in soon to wake them and ran to the other chest to pull out his clothes for the day. He wanted not to waste a moment of the day. The sooner he got ready and ate, the sooner he could visit Old Nan with the drawing. The sooner he did that, then the sooner he could run down and try to find the creature that spoke to him yesterday.

Just as he had pulled on his clothes the maid walked.

"Good morning boys, it's time to wake and head down to the hall to break your fast."

"Good morning Alice." Jon responded still standing in the corner.

The older woman jumped at hearing his voice and snapped her head around to look at him.

"Well you're up early this morn'in Jon."

Alice was one of the older members of the household here in Winterfell. She was always nice to those she met, it's why Jon liked her so much, she wasn't like the others who looked down upon him. Though granted to only people who did that were the staff Lady Catelyn brought north with her when she married father. The rest of the northerners didn't much care as long as he minded his manners and stayed out of the way when they were busy. He knew almost all of the servants in the keep, but Alice was his favorite.

"I wanted to get a head start today, Old Nan promised she would finish her story this morning after we broke our fast."

"Must 'ave been some story to get you so excited. Well don't wait on me, head on down and eat if you're ready.

"Thank you Alice!" Was all she heard as the small boy zoomed past her and down the hall. "Ha ha ha! Oh that boy, he reminds me so much of Richard's lot when they were but wee children."

Slowing down once he reached the Great Hall, Jon opened the door and grabbed his seat at the table. Only his father and Lady Catelyn were there. Excited, Jon ate as quickly as he could without managing to set off a rant from the Lady of Winterfell. He did not want to be on the receiving end of one of those again.

Once he was finished he wiped his face and stood to make his leave quietly. Luckily his father was speaking to his wife so they didn't notice him slip out of the hall.

Jon made a beeline for Old Nan's room, knowing she would be awake, but first stopped back at his and Robb's to grab the drawing he had made earlier. Robb wasn't there so he must have just missed him on his way back.

Knocking on the door he waits patiently until it creaks open revealing the person he wanted to speak to the most.

"Good morning Nan." He greets her, "I was wondering if you could tell me the story about the springs under the castle again?"

She laughs lightly and in her raspy voice replies "Like that one did you? Well come on in then, make yourself comfortable by the fire. It is dreadfully cold this morn."

Jon takes a seat on the fur rug in front of the fire and watches as the older woman takes her seat in one of the two chairs in front of him.

"Well now, let us see if I remember how this one goes…"

Nan starts her tale as she always does, with the legend about the first men and how Bran the Builder had built the castle over the lair of a fire breathing dragon. After the creature had been wrangled in by giants, he had made a deal with the behemoth. The dragon heated the castle through the long winters and the men who lived with in would defend the land from others who sought to slay the beast.

"Do you believe the stories Nan? That there really is a dragon under the castle?"

"I do my dear. Don't you?"

Jon looks down for a moment, "Well, I don't know what to think. But when I was running yesterday I got lost down there. I was really scared and thought that no one would find me. When I was crying, a large creature called out to me and I don't know what it was, all I saw of it was this."

Jon pulls the drawing from his pocket and unfolds it before handing it to Old Nan. She gingerly takes it from his grasp and turns it over to see it fully. When she gets a good look at is she gasps, her eyes widen for a fraction of a second before a smile breaks out on her face. "It seems you have your answer dear."

"So it is a dragon, there is a real life dragon living under us!"

"How has no one ever seen it before! How big do you think it is? How old is it?! I don't think anything can live for eight thousand years! Nor even a dragon. Because didn't Balerion the Dread only live for two hundred before—"

Old Nan cuts his rapid word off by placing a hand over his mouth. Looking back up at her, he sees her smile.

"Why don't you go ask it then?"

**Note: Okay so in response to a few comments I received in the first chapter. Also feel free to question and criticize, I welcome all you have to say.**

**Guest: If you think about Catelyn's frame of mind it will. She was raised with the notion that bastards were stains on the honor and name of their parents, so that is exactly how she sees Jon. In the faith of the seven they are also taught that children born out of wedlock are manipulative tricksters that seek only power and to disrupt the families they were born into. So she thinks that Jon will make attempts to take Robb's place as the rightful heir of Winterfell, even though we all know he never would, she doesn't. She is also very jealous, she doesn't know who Jon's mother is, if she is still alive, where she is or what this woman could have possibly done to get Ned to love her so much that he brought their bastard home with him and vehemently refuses to send the child away. As for the education Jon would receive if he was sent away, well the simple answer is that if Catelyn had her way he wouldn't receive one at all as he would likely be sent to an orphanage, the wall or placed into the care of common people. Knowing Ned though, we know that if Jon was to be sent away, he would likely be sent to Howland Reed, as he is the only other person who knows Jon's true parentage. And arguably Jon might actually receive a better education there than at Winterfell as there would be no one standing in the way of him receiving such. As for Rhaegar, if Jon had been sent away he would have followed his son wherever he went and worked around their new circumstances to still teach Jon all he knows. Hope that makes sense.**

**Guest: Thank you. This is actually an idea I've had for a while but never got around to writing. And yes Rhaegar is melancholic about watching his son leave because he hasn't laid eyes on him in a few years. Once he finds out about how Catelyn treats him, oof. We will see just how much rage our sweet silver prince is capable of. The only reason he doesn't know yet is because he has never seen the two interact directly.**

**Guest: Yes he does need to visit everyday. Rhaegar needs all the love he can get.**

**Bruja1775: Thanks, glad you like it! I will try to update on Wednesday's but like this week life gets in the way so I was a little late. Sorry about that.**

**Guest: Have no fear, Rhaegar will work his way up to telling Jae, but it's not just a bomb he can drop out of nowhere. It's going to take a while, but when it happens I hope you'll be happy with how it turns out.**

**For all others who have commented, I am so happy to hear that you love the beginning and do sincerely hope you enjoy this story until it's end. Thank you again for all the faves and follows it is good to know my work is loved. Till next week!**


	3. Rhae

**Well, that was interesting. Was not expecting quite so many responses, but okay. Anyway, sorry writers block is a b****. **

"Why don't you go ask it then?"

That was all Jon needed to hear before he raced out of the room and down the hall. He was both excited and nervous about what would happen once he made his way into the underbelly of the castle. Turning corners sharply and nearly tripping down the multitude of stairs, Jon finally found the secret door that lead to the springs.

'I need a torch' he thought. Looking around he found one lit by the entry to the hall. There were no windows this far into the keep so there were always a few lit torches lying around, lest someone trip on a loose stone on the stairs and tumble to their untimely doom. He has to jump to reach the torch, he is only still a child so it takes a while before he manages to push it up and over the sconce it is placed in.

'Finally!'

Once he picked up the fallen torch, Jon makes his way back down the hall before looking both ways to ensure no one is watching. Satisfied that he is alone, the boy ducks behind the statue of Bran the Builder and pulls open the hidden stone door. It's a small entryway that drops immediately down into a set of old grey stone steps. Bran the Builder was a clever man, he had built many passageways like this in the keep all for different reasons.

Ducking down into the base of the statue he jumps onto the first step, pulls the stone door closed and proceeds to make his way down the staircase as quickly and carefully as possible.

"Okay, now how did I get there last time?" He tries to remember this as he walks to the otherside of the room and opens the old wooden door. The door he now notices holds the carving of a snarling dire wolf with a hammer and stake crossed over it, The Builder's personal sigil. He saw it once in a book Maester Luwin let him read when they were snowed in one day last year… well he didn't read it, he had Old Nan read it to him as he was still learning some of the bigger words.

'Was it walk down to the third arch and turn right or was it walk past the arches to the corner then turn right… or was it left?'

"No no no, it was walk down the hall and turn left at the first set of arches, yeah that's it. I turned right while walking back, which means now I turn left." When he reaches the first set of arches, Jon turns left and continues to make his way deeper into the keep. 'Now if I remember correctly the open room should be right, here.' Sure enough, there it is.

Switching what hand holds the torch, he nervously shifts his feet. 'Okay, you can do this' breathing in deeply and then exhaling calmly he walks further into the room. It is bigger than he remembers, tip toeing closer he calls out "Hello? Are you here?" The light from the torch only makes the next ten feet in front of him visible, so he doesn't even know if the creature is here.

He waits a minute before calling out again, "Hello? Anyone down here?"

After another minute he becomes disheartened and sits down. Maybe it was all in his head. Maybe he was just imagining the whole thing… His thoughts are interrupted by a disturbance in the large spring pool to his left. Just like last time, only this round he walks closer to the pool. When he does he sees large bubbles of air shooting to the surface. Something huge was down there.

Then a large shiny black claw exits the water and lands upon the floor just feet from where he stood. Then another appears right behind him. A grin nearly splits his face as he now knows he was right. A head then makes its way out of the water, a rumble echoing as the creature shakes the water from his scales. As his head finally turns down their eyes meet. Jon's muted grey violet against the dragon's deep ruby.

In that moment Jon swears he sees something akin to a smile on the dragon's face. His head lowers and allows Jon to see his features clearly. Dark metallic scales covered the dragon, appearing black or dark purple at first glance now reflecting what looked like a rainbow; red violet into golden orange then to clear spring water blue. It was beautiful. Next he notices the horns and spines on the dragon's chin, snout, jaw, forehead and neck. They weren't as shiny as he's scales, they were more of a muted black. And boy was his head huge, from the tip of the spines on his chin to the bottom of his jaw had to be most of Jon's current height alone.

His examination of the dragon took only mere seconds. He was snapped out of it when he felt a light nudge pushing him back, the boy soon found out why he was moved when the dragon fully exited the pool of water. The scales of his body and water upon them shining in the light of his torch. The dragon lights up briefly with the soft yellow light from before, this time using it to dry himself if the steam that flooded the room was any inclination of what he was doing.

Finally turning back to Jon, he heard the dragon address him in its deep melodic voice. "So he returns."

"Aye, I have. I had to see you again. Though I can't really see you, it's too dark down here."

"Then let's fix that, shall we." He says smoothly before lighting up once more and releasing a bright golden flame into a shallow pit. Jos watched as the fire quickly spread across the room, the pit stretched along the walls at the base lighting up the entire space. "Wow" the boy says, Rhaegar chuckles at his son's astonishment.

Moving to lay down, Rhaegar folds his wings beside him crosses his claws in front of him, one over the other. His tail curls half around him and half against the wall next to him. The webbed spines along his neck, back and tail fall limply as they are no longer in use. "Come here little one, and I shall answer any questions you have as I am sure you have many."

Turning to Rhaegar, Jon wanders over while taking in his full form. No one has seen a dragon in nearly a hundred years, so being the first he wanted to capture every detail. Four legs, two wings, very spiny, lots of horns, and very shiny. "Are all dragon's so shiny?" He said while settling down against Rhaegar's chest between his crossed claws. He had no fear of the dragon because for some reason he knew he wouldn't hurt him.

His son's first question makes Rhaegar laugh, the first genuine laugh he has had in years. Hearing his laughter doesn't shake Jon, he knew it was a funny question and that he wasn't going to be berated for asking it.

"No, not all dragon's are shiny. Only a few were known to have metallic type scales, Dreamfyre was a cloudy blue who was said to shine like ice. Grey Ghost was silver with a head that shined like garnets. Moondancer was a stunning pale green that was nearly translucent when the sun shined upon her. Tessarion "The Blue Queen" had scales as deep blue as a stormy sea that twinkled a royal blue under the light of the moon, and Vermathor was a glittering bronze, it was said his scales were made of the metal itself."

Awe was upon the young prince's face as his father described the different dragon's from Targaryen history. "Wow, did you ever get to see any of them? How long have you been down here? How old are you?" Letting a soft laugh escape him, Rhaegar looked down at his son with kind eyes. "Calm down byka zaldrīzes, I know you are excited but one at a time, I can't speak as fast as you can think." The boy nods and leans back waiting for the dragon's answer.

"Now, I have seen a few other dragons in my lifetime. Some were great, but some were only shells and shadows of those from the past. Sadly though there are very few of us left." Pausing for a moment to reign in his emotions, Rhaegar breathes in his son's scent and continues "I have not been down here long, only about four years or so, and as for my age I am older than some but younger than most."

"I've never been any good at riddles, but I figure them all out eventually. So if you don't want to tell me that's fine, but I will figure it out."

"I'm counting on it." Rhaegar responds chuckling. 'He is so much like his mother.' he thinks to himself. "What other questions do you have floating about in your curious mind?"

"Hmm. What were the other dragons like? The ones that you knew? Are they out there waiting for you? And why have you stayed here if they are?"

Sighing through his nose Rhaegar thinks on what to say. He can't give everything away no matter how much he wants to, but he can tell half truths.

"Well, a few have died since I knew them but I will do my best to describe them to you. Let's see, the eldest is a milky white with eyes of blue, he was one of my favorites to talk to. The next was old and grey, he had long dull claws and sulked most of the time, that is when he wasn't angry. No one liked to be around him then. The next was a stunning silver with muted lavender eyes, she was kind and cared deeply for those around her. One was a cloud blue like Dreamfyre, she found company in the ghosts of our past. Then there was one the most radiant shade of orange anyone had ever seen, she was small but cunning, and as fierce as the vipers in Dorne. Four more came after, three boys and a girl. One an off white, the second a pearlescent shade, the third a deep black like myself and the last a glittering silver like the moon. I never met the last one, but from what others have said she is just so."

"How many are there now?"

"Only five, including myself remain." He states, his tone filled with grief.

"Oh, I'm sorry I asked. I didn't mean to make you sad." Jon turns to face the dragon's neck and huggs what he can fit his arms around. Rhaegar leans his head down and wrapped himself around Jaehaerys while taking a claw and holding his son to him.

The embrace doesn't last long but it was enough to soothe the raging emotions the dragon was experiencing. Sighing he continues "As for those who remain, I'm afraid none know I still roam this world. They all think I perished with the others, but I two are within my reach here in the North. They are separated, and do not know of the other but in time I know they will meet. The other two are in Essos, and as much as I want to fly to them and let them know I live, the one I have found here needs me more. That is why I have stayed, little one."

Nodding his head in understanding, Jon releases Rhaegar from his grip and turns back to face the rest of the room. "So, there are two other dragons in the North. Do you know where they are? Can I help you find them?"

"I know exactly where they are, so there is no need."

"Oh, then why aren't you with them?"

"I am, one is closer than you know and the other is only a short distance away. I can reach them both in a very short amount of time, but they are not ready to meet each other, as I have said."

"Who are they?" Jaehaerys asks curiously. Then it occurs to him that he does not even know whom he is speaking to and adds "And who are you?"

The dragon lays his head down and levels it with Jon's small form. Looking him in the eye. "The Elder is one of my family, I have not seen him in such a long time, since I was a child I think. He will be fine, it is the younger I worry about. The little black dragon is my son, but now whatever fear he has I bid it banished for I am here and will protect him, always."

"Now, answering that last question is tricky. For I have many names, to some I am The Silver Prince, to others I am a warrior, The Last Dragon, to my mother I was a daydreamer and to my friends a Promised Prince, but I prefer the name Rhae."

**Responses:**

**Guest: Rhaegar's scales will appear a dark purple almost black. They are also metallic, reflecting subtly in the light like gasoline but with red violet, golden orange and a clear ocean/ spring blue. Very pretty, I couldn't help it. i wanted to make him as beautiful in this life as he wad in the last.**

**Guest: Old Nan knows a lot of things okay. she is the oldest resident of Winterfell and was around when a lot of the major plot in asoiaf went down. And yeah, I've always pictured her as this character that knows more than she is supposed to, she knows the legends and myths, she knows about the abilities of the Stark children and she knows the truth of what happened (at least in this story) between Rhaegar and Lyanna. And Jon does, he will spend as much time as he possibly can with Rhaegar because he is curious as a child and wants to know all he can.**

**NachoTheDrake: I am so glad you like this, and it means a lot to have people tell me so. Love the name btw.**

**Guest: Right now Rhae knows his siblings are safe as they have Ser Willem Darry with them. He trusts Ser Willem explicitly. Now, eventually he will find out what happens to them as the story moves on and will make some moves to protect them from what he can. Dany's marriage to Drogo is what gets her out from under Viserys' thumb and allows her to eventually grow to be able to stand up for herself, so he is a pivotal point in her story that I don't know how i would write around yet, if at all. But i will say that if i can figure out a way that makes sense in her story I might. As for Catelyn, it is safe to say Rhae will definitely express his anger, and I hope you like what happens.**

**To those who wrote about Catelyn: I actually like Lady Catelyn, she is a fierce mother and has shown she would do what ever it took to save her children and she is also a loyal wife to Ned dispite the dishonor to her when he brought home 'his bastard'. She has proven that she would defend her family no matter the cost and I respect that part of her personality, but just because Jon is not her family doesn't give her the right to verbally abuse him. It is not his fault that the story of being a bastard was what would keep him far away from Robert's rage.**

Edit: note that I said I _respected_ her need to protect her children and NOT that I _agreed_ with her actions in the show and books. There is a big difference there. I know what she did was what she thought was right and I agree that it was reckless and ultimately played a role in their demise, but my point was that I respected her reasons behind what she did. She did it to protect her children but I acknowledge that at times she only thought of one over the other. I am not going to say anymore on Catelyn until her next part in future chapters.

Also, Jon is not a Blackfyre in this fic, it would actually be impossible for him to be a Blackfyre because of a bunch of things that happened with that line earlier in history. If he was a bastard he would be a Sand as he was born in Dorne but he is not because in this fic; like in the show, Rhaegar and Lyanna were married. The black dragon reference is referring to the color of Jon's hair.


	4. The Truth

**Okay, so I'm sorry this took a whole week to get out to you. Last week was Midterms and I was having a hard time deciding where I wanted this chapter to go. Also filling Jon's future court was really hard. So many decisions. Anyway, here you go!**

Over the last few weeks Jon had made it a habit to visit his new friend Rhae down in the springs whenever he could. Some days he would be able to stay all day and others only for an hour or two. Rhaegar didn't mind of course, he loved every moment he was able to spend with his son. They spent their time together doing many things, from Jae asking multiple questions about history at a rapid speed to the young boy asking Rhae to describe everything he had seen so Jae could get it all down on paper. A few fixed details later and he had nearly the entirety of Dragonstone at one point. It was Jon's favorite because it was unlike anything he had ever seen before.

His new obsession though had Rhaegar teaching him High Valyrian. Jon had gotten tired of Rhae's little remarks in the language and pleaded with the dragon to teach him. The boy was a quick learner and by the third week of lessons Jon had the entire alphabet and number system memorized as well being able to say multiple short phrases in the language. He had decided that Rhae was a far better teacher than Maester Luwin.

Jon also had a hidden motive for learning Valyrian, he had found a few books in the library with words he recognized from his talks with Rhae. So he took it upon himself to learn the language so he could read them and complete the riddle of who Rhae was. He was getting close, and Rhaegar knew it. The idea of his son finally putting all the pieces together made him both ecstatic and anxious beyond anything. What if when Jae figured it out he wanted nothing to do with Rhae? What if he shut down and couldn't handle the news? What if he pieced together the whole truth and didn't give him any time to explain? What if he assumed what everyone else did?

That thought would break him. He knew what people said and what rumors had spread about himself and Lyanna. Despite their best efforts to get letters out to the people who spearheaded the rebellion, it was all for not. None of their letters had made it to who they were intended for, and people died because of it. Oh how he wishes it all could have been different. But there was no use in dwelling on the past, he had more important things to focus on. Like what was in front of him right now.

His son sat on the ground between his large claws bent over and focused on the drawing before him. He was drawing what he had seen in a dream last night. When Jaehaerys had described it to him he was in shock. The way he spoke about what happened had Rhaegar convinced that it was a dragon dream. The prospect of Jae having such dreams both worried and excited him. On one hand he was worried his son would end up like himself, so focused on what was to come that he had become lost in his head but on the other, knowing his family would come together and become who they were meant to be had his heart soaring.

~~~Flashback to when Jae first arrived that day~~~

The sound of small footsteps racing through the cellar alerted Rhaegar to his son's presence. When the boy finally came into view he nearly slipped as he rounded the last corner. Jaehaerys was gasping for breath but his father could feel the excitement buzzing off of him as he spoke.

"Rhae! Rhae! Rhae! You'll never guess what just happened!" He said as he jogged the last few steps and took his usual place between his claws.

Amused at his son's enthusiasm he released a light throaty chuckle and responded. "What has you so excited that you nearly slipped on your way in?"

"Well last night I— I didn't almost slip the floor was wetter than usual."

"Mhm"

"That is besides the point, I had a dream last night. It was clear and I remembered all of it. It started like this. I was on Dragonstone, on the beach you described and there was this man and..."

~~~Dream~~~

The sky was clear that day, a rarity for the isle. The waves were peaceful and the sea breeze gentle. A small group of people stood upon the shore gazing out at the water in front of them. The dull color of the rocky cliffs behind them made the vibrant colors of their dress stand out so they could easily be seen. On either side of the group were two black banners adorned with the red three headed dragon of the house the man standing closest to the water belonged to.

The young man was standing close to the water's edge, wind rustling through his black curly hair that was styled in its usual half up half down plait. He was facing the water, his deep amethyst eyes alight with joy and a small smile on his face. Getting a better look at the man, he is dressed in a long sleeved black doublet that had a high collar that extended from his neck to the tips of his shoulders. It was rimmed with a deep crimson and patterned lightly with scales. His belt was tight around his waist and matched the ends of the man's sleeves and collar with their red color. He had on charcoal grey pants and a fur cloak to match. His lower legs and feet encased in black boots that were edged with sand.

The man's attention was held by the ships that were approaching the shore. Their sails were adored with the same snarling red dragon laid proudly on a field of black. His family had finally come home. The happy roars of three dragons could be heard before the creatures were seen. Soaring overhead was where the three vibrantly colored dragons could be seen, one a dull black with accents of bright red, another a brilliant emerald streaked with bronze and the last a cream glistening with accents of gold. Their excitement grew when a larger form of tinted amethyst joined them in the skies above.

When his gaze returned to its original place he saw smaller boats making their way to shore, a figure with silver hair onboard one of them. Now it was his turn to feel excitement bubble in his stomach. He finally gets to lay eyes upon her. She is dressed in a dark grey dress that splits in front of both her legs allowing her grey pants and boots to be seen. The dress is accented with a wide collar similar to his own. Red beading laces the edges. Her hair is braided in an intricate plait behind her with only two thin curls on either side, framing her face.

When she reaches the shore their eyes meet, lavender against amethyst. As she steps off the boat her gaze never strays from his. They stare for a moment before the emotions overwhelm them and they fling themselves at the other.

Her arms wrap tightly around his neck as she buries her face in his hair and his grasp at her back and waist pulling as close as he can. The two Targaryens feel the weight lift off of their shoulders as they are finally within the arms of the other they have longed to meet.

"Welcome home Dany."

~~~End of Dream~~~

"And then they pulled back and smiled at each other. Rhae, she looked so happy, I've never seen someone smile like that before."

"It sounds like a wonderful dream. Do you know any of the people you saw?"

A thoughtful look crosses his son's face, "I think so, the man, he kind of looked like me but I'm not sure. You were there so, maybe it was me. The woman I've never seen before nor anyone that was with her. The people behind the man though, I knew some of them. The one just behind him… me, to the right had red curly hair, like Robb, he was dressed in Stark armor so I think it was him. The one to the left was an older man, I didn't know him. Behind Robb was someone I think I've seen before in a book from the library, he looked like Ser Aurthur Dayne but I can't be sure, I didn't see his sword but he donned the white cloak."

That part surprised Rhaegar, was it possible his old friend was still alive? If so, he needed to be found as soon as possible. What was it Eddard was saying about sending Jaehaerys to Lord Reed… maybe he should start his search there.

"There were four other men as well. Two of the men next to him had orange hair and scraggly beards, though one was more grey than red, the next man was around my age, he had pale hair like the woman, 'Dany', but he was wearing a black dragon instead of the red like the one on the banners. The last man wasn't a man at all she was just a really tall woman. Now that I think about it, I guess I really didn't recognize anyone."

~~~End of Flashback~~~

Jae was sketching away the scene he saw at the beach. He was adamant that every detail be perfect, all of their faces he wanted to commit to memory. The people he described got Rhaegar thinking, this dream would definitely bring Jae right to the truth of who he was. If these people were indeed who he thought they were then he needed to find them and fast. But how? Should he try to make contact with Eddard or wait till Jae figured it out? He sighs and goes back to watching his son draw. The light from the pits lining the walls wasn't enough so Jae had asked him to do what he called "the light trick" again and hover just over him.

As Rhae watched his son draw out the faces he started to recognize them one by one. Ser Arthur was definitely the man behind a young Robb Stark, he knew that face anywhere. Last he had heard though Arthur had fallen at the hands of Ned Stark the day Lyanna had birthed Jae. Maybe he clung to life somehow and given that Howland Reed was the only other person there that day, it seemed Rhaegar would indeed have to track the man down to find his lost friend.

He didn't recognize the man on Jae's left, nor three of the others behind him but one of the men Jae said had red hair, he knew. His old companion Jon Connington. He had only seen his friend a few times before his death but he knew that face anywhere, even with its aging. Where was Jon anyway? Had he fled to Essos when the rebellion ended? He'll have to look into that as well.

Seeing the Blackfyre sigil was interesting. It'd been a long time since one of them had shown face. He made a mental note about that as well.

Now he focused on the man Jae had said was his older self. The face of the figure was like looking in a mirror, his son was doomed. If Robert ever saw him in the coming years, may the Gods help them all because the first thing the oaf would see is his visage in Jae's face and build. Though it looks like Jae will be a bit stalkier than he was, broad shouldered and just a tad bulkier due to his mother's northern heritage.

Rhaegar is shaken from his thoughts when Jae suddenly stills, his muscles stiffen and his breathing hitches. Rhaegar immediately lowers his head and nudges his son lightly. "What is it? Are you alright?"

The boy turns slowly to him, and he knows something was wrong when Jae doesn't meet his eyes. A mixture of shock, sadness, confusion and possible horror is splayed across the six name day old's face. Jae swallows tightly and holds up the picture to show Rhae. His little finger points to the banners drawn on either side of the scene. "I know these banners, I didn't recognize them before because I was too excited, but I know them now. Why would I be on Dragonstone surrounded by Targaryen banners? Unless…"

Rhaegar's brain freezes, he was not expecting to deal with this so soon, and definitely not today. He goes to answer but Jae beats him to it. His son's face is now a blank mask, "...byka zaldrīzes, that's what you call me. It's High Valyrian for little dragon, I know because I asked maester Luwin what it meant. You said you had many names "The Last Dragon" is one you mentioned, that was a title given to Rhaegar Targaryen—"

"Jon—" Rhaegar had to refer to him as Jon as not to confuse the child.

"— Rhaegar died six and a half years ago, you said you had Family in the North, an older white dragon and a little black dragon."

"Jon hold on—"

The more Rhaegar tried to interrupt him the faster Jon began to speak. "They were separated you said, you wanted to be with them but one needed you more, your son. The black dragon. I asked Maester Luwin if there were any Targaryens left in Westeros and he said there was only one. Maester Aemon up at Castle Black. You said there were two, and you're here. You spend your time here, with me. Your analogy using the sigil of your house was clever, Rhae, or should I say Rhaegar. Your son, the black dragon, you described most of your family based on hair color. It all makes sense now, my hair is black, you spend your time with me, I'm… am I…"

Jae looks up at him, a panic had taken over his face causing Rhaegar to pull Jae close to his large form. He lowered and wrapped his head around them, looked him in the eyes and whispered calmly "You, my dear boy, are someone special. You are my son, my byka zaldrīzes." Rhaegar pulls back slightly and wipes the small tears from his son's cheek with his claw. "But listen closely now, it is not how it seems. There is so much you need to know."

Sniffling and calming down for a few seconds due to the shock of what he had just learned. The little boy asked one question, "Who is my mother?"

"Your mother was a wild woman, a she wolf through and through. My dearest Lyanna Stark. And before you jump to conclusions your mother and I loved each other very much. Just as much as we love you. The rumors you hear floating around and the history that was written is false, we ran together, but we had plans in place for those we loved. Unfortunately, none of what followed was a part of our plan. I won't explain it all now as you are too young to understand most of it, but when you are older I'll tell you all you wish to know."

At this point Jae had taken a hold of the claws that surrounded his small body, and was leaning on them heavily. Trying to find the support he needed. It was silent between the two for a good while, with Jae gripping Rhaegar's claws tightly while processing everything, and Rhaegar holding his son just as tightly and allowing him the time he needed.

Eventually Jae shifted to look up at his father, still holding onto his claws. "Am I still a bastard?" He says meekly.

By asking this question, Jae would finally receive an answer to whether or not he would ever have a family name. It wasn't the status having a name held that made him want one, it was simply knowing that he was truly a part of a family, and no longer an outcast. He loved the family he had though, it's just he didn't want to feel so different from them.

"No, and you never were. Your mother and I married on the Isle of Faces under a heart tree. It was officiated by the High Septon Maynard and witnessed by Ser Arthur Dayne."

"So, then if I'm not Jon Snow, then what is my name?"

"Your name is Jaehaerys Targaryen, the third of your name, the rightful King of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, the Prince of Dragonstone, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm."

**I have a lot planned for how I'm going to bring these characters into the plot, so don't worry it will all make sense! As for Faegon, don't Rhae's gonna have a handle on that real soon. Next chapter will be posted on Sunday, it'll be more on Jae's emotions in this chapter as well as some after. There will also be a bonus pov that I am really excited about! As always let me know what you think and feel free to message me with any questions! Thanks again for all the favs and follows ya'll's support means the world to me! **

**Oh! and P.S. That one shot I was talking about will be posted on Saturday night. **


	5. The Other Side

Jaehaerys' POV

"_Welcome home Dany."_

The words were ringing through his head as he awoke. It felt so real, like he was not just there as an observer, but like he was a part of the moment himself. He had had dreams like that before but in them he was usually flying. He knew he had a strange connection with the owl in the Broken Tower, and that that was where those dreams usually started but this, this was entirely different. He had to ask Rhae about it, because out of all the people he knew Rhae was the only one he knew would understand. Well besides Old Nan, but he knew she wouldn't be up this early, so Rhae was the only choice.

He looked out the window, the sun had not yet risen. 'It looks like I have a few hours before dawn.' He thought. He then switched his gaze to his brother, he was still lost in the land of dreams. Quickly and quietly he made his way out of bed and over to the chest that lay against the wall on the other side of the room. Once he opened it he grabbed his cloak, a few pieces of parchment and his small ink jar and quill.

Looking back at Robb making sure he had not awoken, he quietly shut the chest and slipped on his boots and slipped out the door of their shared room. From there he made his way down the hall and past the household guard. He had gotten far too good at slipping past them in the last few moon turns. After escaping their line of sight, he made his way down the narrow staircase at the end of the hall and bounded around the corner. Now that he was deeper into the castle he could start running, as no one ever was on guard on this side of the keep.

They all thought that the tunnels had been sealed off hundreds of years ago, or they just forgot they existed entirely. But he knew, and as he ran his small feet made a light pounding noise against the stone floors. Taking turn after turn and flying down the staircases he had come to know like the back of his hand he finally reached the statue with the hidden door. Yanking it open, he bolted down into the cellar in search for Rhae.

The cellar was steamy as always, slightly musty as well. At this point in his journey he had gone into a full sprint, this ultimately was a bad idea because as a rounded on the room Rhae was always in he nearly slipped and face planted onto the slate floor beneath him. He quickly thrust out his hands and grabbed the wall, righting himself almost as soon as he was thrown off balance.

"Rhae! Rhae! Rhae! You'll never guess what just happened!" He shouted excitedly as he jogged the last few steps and took his usual place between the dragons large shiny claws.

He stared up at the dragon, practically bouncing in his seat. His friend chuckled deeply and merrily responded "What has you so excited that you nearly slipped on your way in?"

"Well last night I—" he quickly caught Rhae's mention of his near fall, he flushed red like a tomato momentarily and decided to deny it's happening "I didn't almost slip the floor was wetter than usual."

"Mhm" the dragon responded sarcastically.

He sputtered for half a second before continuing rapidly "That is besides the point, I had a dream last night. It was clear and I remembered all of it. It started like this. I was on Dragonstone, on the beach you described and there was this man and..."

He threw himself back into the dream, recalling every detail about every person and happening within it. He recalled their visage, their clothes, how they were standing, where they were and what they were doing. He spoke to Rhae about how the people looked into the distance and the ships they saw. The dragons they say, that he saw. It was magical seeing others like Rhae.

"...And then they pulled back and smiled at each other. Rhae, she looked so happy, I've never seen someone smile like that before."

A sweet expression was splayed across the dragon's face. It still amazed him that Rhae was able to convey so much emotion through his rough scaly features. In a cool and gentle tone the dragon said "It sounds like a wonderful dream. Do you know any of the people you saw?"

Thinking it over, he scrunched up his face and looked down before answering "I think so, the man, he kind of looked like me but I'm not sure. You were there, so maybe it was me." He shrugged, it was a possibility, after all they shared the same hair color and small scar on the left side of their noses. He got it from Robb when they were play sword fighting with sticks last year, his brother had accidentally swung the wrong way when he slipped in the mud and the branch clipped the bridge of his nose.

"The woman I've never seen before nor anyone that was with her. The people behind the man though, I knew some of them. The one just behind him…me…" he corrected. "...to the right had red curly hair, like Robb, he was dressed in Stark armor so I think it was him. The one to the left was an older man, I didn't know him. Behind Robb was someone I think I've seen before in a book from the library, he looked like Ser Aurthur Dayne but I can't be sure, I didn't see his sword but he donned the white cloak."

It was true, the man he had seen looked nearly exact to a drawing he had found in a book about the great knights of Westeros that Maester Luwin had been working on. Now that he thought about it though, he had looked for the sword around the man's waist, but Ser Arthur was known to carry Dawn across his back. So maybe it was there and he just glossed over it. He would have to try and remember all of it when he drew the scene later. Usually, when he drew his hand and mind worked unconsciously together and allowed him to draw things in great detail.

"There were four other men as well." He continued, seeing the interest on Rhae's face growing. "Two of the men next to him had orange hair and scraggly beards, though one was more grey than red, the next man was around my age, he had pale hair like the woman, 'Dany', but he was wearing a black dragon instead of the red like the one on the banners. The last man wasn't a man at all she was just a really tall woman. Now that I think about it, I guess I really didn't recognize anyone."

He shrugged to himself. Looking up at Rhae, he noticed the dragon was thinking deeply, so he grabbed his ink, quill and parchment and began to sketch out his dream. Once he had some of the beach done he asked Rhae if he could do the light trick. It was one of his favorite things to see the dragon do.

Rhae happily obliged and he continued to sketch out the scene, being very careful as to not mess up the ink. Once he was finished he pulled back and really looked at what he drew. The people, how they were standing, where they were and what they were surrounded by. It was then that the banners in the picture registered in his mind. His eyes grew wide, it was the Targaryen banner. A snarling red three headed dragon on a field of black. How did he now see this before? Who were these people, and why were he and Robb with them, on Dragonstone no less?!

He stiffened, the questions racing through his mind. He felt Rhae lower his head and nudge him lightly. "What is it? Are you alright?" The dragon asked in his deep melodic voice.

He turns slowly to look up at Rhae, but doesn't meet the dragons eyes. Several emotions flood through him at that moment, shock at the possibility of what this could mean, sadness at what he could loose if his conclusion was true, confusion over how this could have happened and horror at the memories of their past conversations. In that moment it all fell into place.

He swallowed tightly and held up the picture to show Rhae. His little finger points to the banners drawn on either side of the scene. Shakily he says "I know these banners, I didn't recognize them before because I was too excited, but I know them now. Why would I be on Dragonstone surrounded by Targaryen banners? Unless…"

His mind stills, flicking his eyes up to look at Rhae he sees the truth in his face. Looking back down and lowering his arms to turn the picture back to face him, he schools his features in shock and to preserve what little strength he has he presents a blank mask and confronts the dragon.

Rhae sucks in a breath but before a word can escape the dragon, he speaks "...byka zaldrīzes, that's what you call me. It's High Valyrian for little dragon, I know because I asked maester Luwin what it meant. You said you had many names "The Last Dragon" is one you mentioned, that was a title given to Rhaegar Targaryen—" he had come across that tidbit while talking to Old Nan.

"Jon—" Rhae had tried to speak but he was cut off again.

"— Rhaegar died six and a half years ago, you said you had Family in the North, an older white dragon and a little black dragon."

"Jon hold on—" Rhae could keep trying but he wasn't having it. A rush of anger ran through him as he continued to speak faster and louder than before.

"They were separated you said, you wanted to be with them but one needed you more, your son. The black dragon. I asked Maester Luwin if there were any Targaryens left in Westeros and he said there was only one. Maester Aemon up at Castle Black. You said there were two, and you're here. You spend your time here, with me. Your analogy using the sigil of your house was clever, Rhae, or should I say Rhaegar."

Speaking it aloud seemed unreal, but the expression the dragon wore made it just so. He quiets his voice, and slows down as he tries to play catch up with his mind. "Your son, the black dragon, you described most of your family based on hair color. It all makes sense now, my hair is black, you spend your time with me, I'm… am I…" at the end of the sentence his voice breaks. If this was true, no, it was true. It was true and he was lost, his whole life had been a lie. Who was he, how did he get here, was his family even his family, what is happening?!

Panic takes over him and his breathing quickens. Rhaegar must have noticed because he pulled him close and lowered and wrapped his large head around them, looked him in the eyes and whispered calmly "You, my dear boy, are someone special. You are my son, my byka zaldrīzes." Rhaegar pulls back slightly and wipes the small tears from his cheek gently with a large claw. "But listen closely now, it is not how it seems. There is so much you need to know."

Sniffling and calming down for a few seconds due to the shock of what he had just learned. His mind had gone blank, he was confused and had so much to ask but only one thing came to mind and it rolled off his tongue before he could stop it. "Who is my mother?"

The great dragon sighed and his face morphed into a relaxed expression for a moment. "Your mother was a wild woman, a she wolf through and through. My dearest Lyanna Stark. And before you jump to conclusions your mother and I loved each other very much. Just as much as we love you. The rumors you hear floating around and the history that was written is false, we ran together, but we had plans in place for those we loved. Unfortunately, none of what followed was a part of our plan. I won't explain it all now as you are too young to understand most of it, but when you are older I'll tell you all you wish to know."

His mother was Lyanna Stark, and Rhae was his father. Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark were his parents. As a means of comfort, he took hold of the claws that surrounded his small body, and leaned on them, sort of like a hug. He needed a moment to process what was revealed. Yes he had come to a similar conclusion but now it was real, it changed everything. His father was not his father, his brother was not his brother and his sisters were not his sisters, they were his uncle and cousins.

It was silent between the two for a good while, he was gripping Rhaegar's claws tightly while processing everything, and Rhaegar was holding him just as tightly and allowing him the time he needed.

He eventually plucked up enough courage to shift and look up at his father, his father… that was going to take a while to get used to. He was reluctant to ask this question, but he needed to know, because if he was than nothing really changed but if he wasn't then his whole world would be flipped on its head and he would bear a whole new set of responsibilities. "Am I still a bastard?" He says meekly.

There was another reason behind this question though. Asking this question also meant that there was a possibility that he would get what he wanted since he found out about himself being a bastard; if he even was one in the first place. He would have a name, a true name, like his bro— cousin and would no longer feel so put out about how Lady Catelyn looked at him. Because he would know it meant nothing. Sure it hurt but there was nothing he could do until he knew the truth.

"No, and you never were. Your mother and I married on the Isle of Faces under a heart tree. It was officiated by the High Septon Maynard and witnessed by Ser Arthur Dayne." Relief and happiness flooded through him, he almost jumped for joy. His parents were married, he had a name! His happy thoughts paused for a moment, if his parents were married that would make him a true Targaryen. Jon Targaryen… hmm, wait was that even his real name? He knew his fath— uncle named him after Jon Arryn but did his mother and father name him differently?

"So, then if I'm not Jon Snow, then what is my name?" He asked looking up into his father's reptilian crimson eyes.

The answer he received was spoken with such strength and regality "Your name is Jaehaerys Targaryen, the third of your name, the rightful King of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, the Prince of Dragonstone, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm."

He blinked once, twice then thrice before it sunk in. He was the rightful King of the Seven Kingdoms. The rightful King of The Seven Kingdoms! Yet he had been raised so far as a bastard. As a Snow, with nothing to his name, with no real place in the world, thinking that all he would ever be was just that, The Bastard of Winterfell, the only stain upon Lord Eddard Stark's perfect honor. He had to endure the nasty looks, the whispers behind his back and the seclusion of himself from all others for a year now, he had noticed it before but as he got older and showed promise where Robb had yet to it became more prevalent. It was in that moment the pat he got over the shock and anger quickly took its place.

* * *

**I am so sorry this is late, I had to drive back up to school on Sunday and then clean my apartment because I haven't been here in a week. Grr. But tadaa! Here it is. ****Also, super important****. With Jae's reaction at the end it's not a crazy anger, he has every right to be mad and will calm down, he just needs things to be explained before he sees that. He is also a child so it'll take a bit. Make no mistake though, little Jae can still hold a grudge, his anger won't just magically disappear like in some other stories I've read. He'll understand but with the knowledge that not much on how he is treated will change he is going to have a bit of an attitude.**

**Now, BONUS POV! **yay :)

* * *

Greywater Watch, Late 287 A.C.

Ser Arthur Dayne's POV

No matter how many times he had to walk through the mud he would never get used to it. He remembers Howland's words from the first time around "You'll be fine Arthur, it's just like walking through sand." Liar. This was nothing like sand, because unlike mud, sand was still semi firm and easy to walk through if you found the right path. Mud sucked you in and once your foot was caught you were pretty much done for.

Though as much as he hated the muddy swamp he had lived in for the last six years it was better than being dead. He owed Lord Reed his life, because on that fateful day in Dorne as he lay dying after Lord Reed had slit his throat from behind; missing the arteries in his neck purposefully as he later explained, it was that very same lord who saved his life and smuggled him back to Greywater Watch. From there he was healed and later learned of his 'death' back in Dorne. And what better place to hide a dead man then a castle that can only be found by those who live in it.

So, while he hates mud with a fiery passion, he is grateful to still be amongst the living. Lord Reed had given him everything he needed. A roof, food, a way to keep entertained and earn his keep. Even a way to know how his Prince's son was. That was another thing he would never get used to. Warging, it was a foreign concept to him, but to Howland it was just as easy as breathing. On several occasions the man had warged into a small animal within the walls of Winterfell and spied on the young King.

He was told what the boy was learning, what he was interested in, how he played with his cousins and all of the boy's mannerisms. Most of which it had seemed he picked up from his father. Like his love for reading and art. But he had a few traits from his mother as well, like his penchant for riding, he was not allowed to ride by himself yet, as he was still too young but soon enough Arthur knew he would get the chance and that once he did he could become as good as she was. It was good to know that his friends lived on through their son, even if he didn't know it.

That was what bothered Arthur the most. The King being raised as a bastard. And yes he understood that it was to protect him but surely there was another way.

A voice knocked him out of his thoughts, it was Lord Reed "Careful Arthur, might want to watch where you're walking. You almost stepped into a quick sinking pit." Arthur looked down and indeed, he had almost stepped into a pit. He let out a quiet sigh/groan when he heard Howland laugh at the expression on his face. Arthur rolled his eyes in response.

Oh how he hated mud.


	6. How?

**Quick Note:**

**Okay, so a few people have messaged me asking why Chapters 4 and 5 are so similar. Here is my answer: They are similar because they are two different sides of the same conversation. It's not supposed to be entirely new material. **

**I was informed that it wasn't made super clear in the note and for that I apologize. **

**So like I said I'm fine with you guys asking questions and I am happy to answer them and have you correct me when i misspeak. I understand that people forget sometimes and that is perfectly okay, but for all our sakes I am going to start summing up the previous note at the beginning of each new chapter. **

—**Carrie**

**P.S I'm so sorry that I am late with this. But man, all this Corona Virus stuff that my University is doing is really screwing up my schedule, not to mention my apartment has really shitty WiFi, it was out nearly all day yesterday, and on and off today so I literally couldn't upload this until now. Yesterday was one of those days where all I wanted to do was scream.**

**Addressing Arthur's POV on how Ned handled Jon. He realizes that if Jae's true parentage had been revealed at that moment then not only would Robert be demanding Jae's death and Ned's head when he refused to hand Jae to Robert, but it would have plunged the realm into war once again. Dorne would riot, The North would be isolated, and the fighting would continue, costing more lives. So, yeah. But Arthur will not agree with Ned in the future, as Jae deserves better and Ned is also biased when it comes to Robert. So interactions between the two later will be interesting.**

**Jae's POV**

There were very few moments in his short life where Jae had found himself truly angry. The only instances he could recall were when Robb had broken his favorite wooden toy; it was one his old nursemaid had given him before she was sent back to Dorne, and another when some of the older boys in the castle were mocking and teasing him about how he had been tripped and fallen into the mud. He was furious both times and nearly stomped over and socked the lot of them in the nose before he thought better of it.

He was sure there had been other times he had been angry but those were the only two instances that he could match to what he felt in this moment. He was livid, the feeling bubbled viciously in his stomach causing his whole body to become heated. How could his uncle, the man he had looked to as a father, keep this from him? How could he not tell him about his mother, he had only asked about her half a million times now. Now he finds out that she was closer than ever all along. Buried right underneath his feet.

How many times had his uncle brought him and Robb down there to light the candles, how many times had he passed her grave without acknowledging her, and how many times had asked about his family and only been met with silence. His small fists clenched tightly. Almost his entire life so far had been a lie, an outright lie. Why did his uncle keep this from him? What purpose did it serve?

He was brought out of his thoughts when he felt Rhae nudge him. The dragon let out a strangled chirp, reflecting his anxiety. He cleared his throat and looked up at his father's face. His father was staring back with unease, worried about his sudden silence. "I know this will be hard to get used to, that your feelings may be hard to express and that what you have just learned contradicts all that you thought you knew about yourself but please say something. Yell, scream, cry, anything."

The dragon's voice was soft and pleading. He sighs, his anger momentarily dissolved. "I… how could he have kept this from me? I don't understand." His anger returned as he continued to speak his mind. "For as long as I can remember I wondered about my mother. How could he not tell me, I know I'm young but I have every right to know! He has never once mentioned her to me, never once did anything to clue me in as to who she was no matter how many times I've asked! I just don't understand why… why would he not tell me?"

What he was most upset about was that his uncle had hidden who he was from him, who his mother was. But that also brought around the fact of who the other half of his family was. He had heard the stories, read the history books about the rebellion. So how could his uncle allow that man to rule after what happened in King's Landing. How could his honorable uncle just let go of the fact that his friend did nothing when his siblings and their mother were brutally murdered? When he was the rightful heir?

There were so many questions racing around in his mind, but he couldn't sort them all out. His emotions were all over the place. Rhae tried to answer some of the more obvious but it was no use, if he wanted answers he would have to go straight to his uncle. But first, he had to come up with a way to explain how he knew what he did. He would have to come up with a way to explain Rhae.

He flicked his eyes to the side and wondered for a moment. Rhae, should he even still call him that? Should he call him father, what does one call their draconic father? Now that he was truly thinking about it, how is this even possible? So, in a fashion true to the nature of a young child his brain went off on a completely new tangent that presented even more questions. He would get back to his previous line of thought later.

"If you're my father, then how are you a dragon? How are you even alive?"

**Mixed POV**

Rhaegar was a bottle of mixed emotions at the moment. He truly had no idea how to address this, mainly because everything on how he had planned to tell Jae went right out the window as soon as the boy confronted him about it. Now he was put on the spot.

Shock made an appearance on his face at Jae's sudden topic change but he quickly shook it off and proceeded to explain how he had come to be here. Though he did leave out the gorier details.

"Well, that is a long story. Shall I start from the beginning?"

"Please."

"Alright. I'll start with when I woke…"

~Flashback~

Nothingness. That was what he remembered first. The dark and cold void he had been thrust into at the moment of his death.

He died. That's right. He remembered trying to explain to Robert what had happened, how he and Lyanna had run, how this was never supposed to happen. He tried to tell his cousin that he was only I love with the idea of the she wolf, and not who she really was. "You never knew Lyanna as well as I did Robert, you saw her beauty, but not the iron underneath." He remembered saying that after finally having managed to knock his cousin to the ground. He didn't want to become a kin slayer, but as it turned out, trying to reason with Robert was the biggest mistake he'd ever made. It cost him his life.

He remembers Robert righting himself quickly by swinging his war hammer in a wide arc to get Rhaegar to back away. Now he was backed against the fjord. The two were quickly locked in battle once again, meeting nearly blow for blow. Rhaegar was faster due to his lith build but Robert was stronger. He remembers swinging his sword and nearly taking Roberts hand but his cousin had met the swing with his war hammer. The clash forced him to stagger due to the slippery mud of the bank, that was where Robert saw his opening and swung hard and fast at his chest.

He remembers the pain, it was sharp and resonated through his entire body. He felt his ribs break and pierce his heart and lung. It was then when he realized he was a dead man. He had fallen into the shallow water of the fjord gasping for breath. His sword had sunk to the bottom and the small rubies inlaid upon his armor had been carried downstream by the current. He remembered looking up to the sky and uttering her name with his last breath. It was a painful memory.

He knew now though, that this was not where he was taken after his death. This darkness was warm, almost stifling. He needed to get out of here, and fast. He threw himself at what he thought was containing him, he didn't know what it was but it was the only solid thing around besides himself. Again and again he threw his weight upon the thing and finally heard a satisfying crack. With the crack came light. From what he could tell it was dancing, like a flame. So he started to pick at the crack, poking at it and pushing small pieces of the wall away so that he could make his escape.

Finally, he thought as he made the hole large enough to slip his head through. As soon as he did this his eyes were assaulted with a bright light. This startled him and he quickly closed his eyes and retreated back behind the wall. Shaking his head and waiting until his eyes readjusted this time before making his way out again. He used his arms to push down the thin wall around his head so that his body could slip through. Once he was out he looked around him and was thoroughly confused.

The wall was not a wall, it was an egg shell. Why had he just come out of an egg? He looked down and saw the floor and his feet, only the floor was not the floor, it was a bed of hot coals and his feet were not feet they were claws. This caused him to quickly examine the rest of his body and come to a startling realization, he was in the body of a dragon. Turning in circles he tried to catch a glimpse at his new body, but his erratic movements had disturbed the coals causing him to slip and tumble off of a small ledge and onto a strangely heated dark granite floor.

He examined his surroundings once more as he shook off the slight pain from his fall. It seemed to him that he was in a temple of sorts. The room he was in was large and entirely made up of smoky granite, with only a few artistic inlays of gold and ruby. Two rows of large columns outlined a path through the center of the room, splitting it into thirds. At the opposite end there was a large double door with the inlaid design of a golden flame surrounding a heart. Turning to examine the rest of the room he discovered that this was indeed a temple, if the large roaring fire sitting upon the bed of coals on the ledge he had just fallen from said anything. It seemed this temple was dedicated to R'hllor, but of which temple he was unsure.

Was he in Volantis? Myr? Pentos?Asshai? He did not know. Why did they have a dragon egg anyway? What did they hope would happen? Well, he could guess that part but still, most of the eggs he knew that still existed were fossilized, like the one on display at the citadel and the ones he found in the vault under Dragonstone. Oh, Dragonstone, how he longed to go home and see his family.

Suddenly he shot up in alarm. His family! Oh by he Seven, what happened to them after his death? Were they okay? His mother and siblings? What about Elia and their children? Did they manage to escape King's Landing? His father, oh gods, his father! He prayed that the man hadn't done something terrible. What about Lyanna and their babe?

A shriek and a set of hands wrapping around him knocked him back into the present. He scrambled to get out of his captor's grip, clawing, biting and shrieking. When his teeth pierced flesh he was unceremoniously dropped back onto the floor. From there he bolted straight for the door at the opposite end of the hall. But he wasn't fast enough as the woman's shriek had gained the attention of others in the temple. His path to the door was cut off by other priests and priestesses of the Red God.

'Damn it'

As it turns out he was only stuck in Asshai for about two years. He had figured out where he was when people started talking about shadow binders and other forms of magic.

He had managed to escape by memorizing the patterns in which the residents of the temple lived their lives. He knew where they were, what they were doing, every minute of every day. His quick growth had certainly helped him as well. He was the size of a large dog now.

He bided his time in his small enclosure in the middle of the temple. He didn't want to kill anyone, and he was too small to do much damage so he set to watching and listening to the priests and priestesses babble on about how their God was the true God. He listened to the extremists who called for sacrifices and those rare few that repeated the prophecy of the promised prince. That last one was the only time he ever really paid them any attention. He was all for deciphering riddles and prophetic tales, it kept him entertained.

The past two years gave him time to reflect on his previous life. Finding out where he went wrong and what he could possibly change now. It was completely devastating though, to have to hear the news about the fall of his family. He couldn't bring himself to eat for weeks.

His resolve strengthened though when he heard about his brother and new sister being alive. He needed to escape, he needed to find them. And so that is what he did. Now, using fire in a temple dedicated to a fire God was not a good idea, but he didn't have much of a choice. So when the time was right and most of the priests and priestesses had gone to sleep and the guards were switching shifts he struck. He melted his cage and ran up a few staircases out of the belly of the temple and into the main room. Once there he charred the door and flew off into the night.

Finding his siblings was hard, as he had no idea where to even begin looking. He also couldn't travel during the day unless he flew far above the clouds. He had no leads either, in all honesty it was pure luck that he had managed to stumble upon Ser Willem Darry in Bravos. From his rooftop hiding spot he also saw Viserys, his brother was running around a courtyard while trying to catch a little girl, his sister. He sat there and watched them play until Ser Willem called them in for lunch.

He watched them for days, making sure they were safe. Should he reveal himself to them? Would it be a good idea? He realized that he couldn't, at least not right now. He still needed answers as to what happened to Lyanna and their babe. If they were dead or alive. He knew for now though that his siblings were safe with Ser Willem, so he would stay for one more day before setting off.

The next morning his brother and sister were out in the courtyard as usual, running around and playing as if nothing else was more important. Ser Willem was watching them with a smile on his face. Rhaegar sighed, wishing he could speak to the man to make sure he would always be there when they needed him. "It's been a long time since I've seen my brother smile so, and it is an absolute joy seeing my sister just as happy."

Ser Willem jumps in his seat. Whipping his head around to find the source of the voice he had just heard. Finding nothing, he subtly shifts his position to lay his back against his chair and runs his hands over his face. He couldn't have just heard that voice, Rhaegar was dead.

Rhaegar noticed his reaction, shock and excitement flowed through him. Had Ser Willem heard him? There was only one way to find out. "Ser Willem." The man started again, but this time called out "My Prince? Is that you?"

"It is." He had heard him! "I'll return for them in time, but for now I am entrusting you until then. I have others I need to find and matters to settle before I can return. Keep them safe, promise me that you will."

Just as shocked to hear his Prince's voice, the old knight nods, "I promise."

With his siblings squared away with Ser Willem in Bravos, he was now free to search for Lyanna and their child. For months he flew around Westeros searching for answers and came up with the most disappointing answer he had ever received. Lyanna was dead. Their unborn babe was dead. He had also found out that Elia and their children's bones were never returned to Dorne or buried under the great Sept, so he couldn't even say his final goodbyes. Lyanna however, was taken back to The North by her brother, so that is where he would go before returning to Bravos.

The flight north was cold, despite it being summer. He remembered Lyanna talking about the summer snows that she had experienced as a child. How it was possible that snow fell in the summer he would never know, King's Landing and Dragonstone had always been on the warmer side of the weather spectrum.

He flew over rolling hills, winding rivers and mountains covered in snow. He flew over the neck, over Moat Cailin, over the swamps that hid Greywater Watch. Dawn was when he finally made it to Winterfell. He was utterly exhausted.

After circling for a moment he decided to land in the God's Wood to rest up in the trees. The canopy was thick and the evergreens hid his form perfectly. His quest after he caught up on sleep was to find the Crypts.

Once night fell he started his search. As it turns out Lyanna's hunch was right indeed. Just like in King's Landing, there were tunnels dug underneath Winterfell. She would go on about how different legends intertwined and the tale of Vermax and how the dragon supposedly layed a clutch of eggs under the keep. She thought it true, but how would a dragon gain access to the tunnels under the castle if the only way down was a door?

It was tricky finding the cave opening that lead to the springs under the castle and from there the old carved stone passageway into the crypts. He had searched the Wolf's wood for hours before finally finding it. The cave was placed in a heavily wooded area of the forest. If he ever came back he would have to clear the area to get in.

The cave was dry at the mouth, but as he ventured further it grew warmer, indicating that the hot springs were near. The stone turned slick and stalactites and stalagmites littered the cave. The cave opened up immensely the further in he went, he also came across winding tunnels and several dead ends before finding the one that lead into the crypts.

Being in the crypts was eerie. He got the feeling that he was being watched, and was very much unwelcome. Shaking it off, he continued to search for grave of his lost love. When he had nearly made his way to Lyanna's final resting place he saw her brother Eddard Stark kneeling before it with tears in his eyes. He was speaking softly to the statue of his sister.

This made him curious, but he also didn't want to disturb the man so he hid behind the tomb of Brandon Stark until he left.

"Lya, you wouldn't believe what he did today. The things that boy says, he came into the Great Hall babbling on about the owl he named in the broken tower, Winter he said. He was talking about how in his dream they were flying together, that he went all the way to the wall and back. Lya, he was talking about the different castles in such detail I almost couldn't believe my ears. If this persists, maybe I'll foster him with Howland when he is old enough. He is the only other person who knows."

"Figures though, your son would inherit a trait that would allow him to become the one thing you dreamed about constantly. Maybe that was why you and Howland got on so well, he is a warg and you always wanted to meet a warg."

Rhaegar had stopped listening after he had heard the words "...your son…" leave Eddard Stark's lips. He froze, his babe was still alive, he had a son. His mind was racing, his child with Lyanna was still alive! Ha! He definitely needed to clear the opening of that cave now.

When the Lord of Winterfell left the crypts Rhaegar wasn't far behind. Thankfully it was night so he had plenty of cover. He raced behind his good brother into the castle and set out in search of his son. He ran out of his hiding spot after Ned had retired into his chambers for the night and began sniffing under all of the doors in the hall, hoping to catch the scent of his blood. Snout to the ground he paced the hall.

He didn't have to search for long as a few doors down from the Lord's chambers he found what he was looking for. Hoping up into the air, he grabbed the handle and quietly swung the door open before dropping back to the floor. He grabbed the door so that it opened as quietly as possible before peering inside to find that the room was shared, two small beds with one on either side of the room. I made sense for two small children to room together instead of alone.

On the right was a boy of about two with dark red hair, Lord Stark's son no doubt as his wife Lady Catelyn had the same shade of red hair. And on the left, his son. The boy had dark curly hair that very much resembles Rhaegar's own mass of silver curls. If a dragon could crack a smile, have no doubt that the largest you'd ever seen would be pulled across the dragon's lips in that moment.

Over next few years, Rhaegar tried to catch glimpses of his son from the hiding places he had familiarized himself with through out the grounds. But within the next two, his body had grown to the point where he could no longer remain camouflaged in dark corners or in the canopy of the Godswood. And so he had had to give up the visits he would pay his son, having to do so made him feel as though his chest was being smashed in by Robert's war hammer all over again.

He would miss watching the snow ball fights the two boys had, and the wrestling matches in the mud, much to Catelyn's ire. His favorite memory was when the boys had ran around the God's wood in the snow. They were busy throwing snowballs and didn't notice him. One of the balls was packed too tight and when it was lobbed at his son's face it hit hard. Now he wanted nothing more than to run over and smooth his son and dry his tears but he could not, so instead he shook the snow from the branch just above the red haired Stark boy and watched as the soft fresh snow fell perfectly on the boys back and down his tunic.

Jaehaerys's face and mood immediately shifted into complete joy as he laughed at his cousin who was dancing around trying to shake the snow from his clothes. He knew it was a bit mean but he would do anything to make his son happy.

He was sad when he could no longer visit so openly but to preoccupy himself he started to explore the bowels of the keep, looking for another way to remain close to Jaehaerys. And find one he did. He found he could hear the footfalls of those above him clearly with his enhanced hearing. So he learned to memorize the patterns of most of those who lived in the keep.

Lord Stark's were heavy but strangely quiet, Lady Catelyn's were light and dainty, both of the boys' were loud but Robbs were faster than Jae's. Probably because Jae's legs were longer. The different guards had a metallic ringing to their steps, and the maids' were scurried.

The structure of the walls beneath the keep were not the same as those above, but he adapted and knew the paths like the back of his hand now. When he found the space under the room Robb and Jaehaerys shared he was ecstatic. He could listen to their conversations at night. They often talked about what knights and quests they were going to play out the next day. Yesterday's was Ser Duncan the Tall and Ser Aemon the Dragonknight.

He settled down within the pools of the springs and simply listened to their routine every night. He knew who they interacted with, when their bedtime was, and all of their favorite things to do after they were supposed to be asleep. Mostly they would dig out their wooden knights from the toy chests and play until Alice came in and told them to go to sleep.

~~~ End flashback~~~

He told his son all that had happened up until the day they had met. He hoped it was enough for now. He explained that the exact magic behind his current circumstance was unknown to him, but he had a few hunches. Jaehaerys seemed satisfied with his answer though.

But before he could say more Rhaegar heard the panicked footsteps of Alice run from the room above and knew it was time to send Jaehaerys back up stairs. He cautioned his son about confronting his uncle in front of others, and advised that he ask to speak to him alone. Jae nodded and put on a determined face.

"I will, and I promise that I'll be careful about who I tell, if I tell anyone at all."

"Good. Now, remember you learned this information by overhearing a few conversations but mostly pieced it together yourself. You are a smart boy, don't let him make you doubt that and don't let him deny it, and if he tries, bring him down here to me. I have a few words for him anyway." His face was stern and serious. Rhaegar meant every word of what he said, he would not allow his son to be denied who he was any longer.

"Yes father, I promise I won't let him." Hearing Jae refer to him as such, aloud, set his heart on fire. His chest swelled with love and pride and then he pulled Jaehaerys close and nuzzled him. His son flung his small arms over his snout in a hug. Rhaegar let out a deep purring noise, which made Jae giggle. "You sound like Old Nan's cat!"

At that he scoffed and pulled away slightly with an amused expression. "A cat am I?" Jae giggled again while nodding his head. "Well then I suggest you get going before this cat decides to pounce on you and keep you here forever." His tone was playful and made Jae's giggles turn into raucous laughter as the boy squirmed to escape his clawed grasp.

Letting him go, Rhaegar shook his head with a chuckle and called out "And don't slip on your way out!"

The running steps stopped for a brief second when the boy indignantly responded "I did not slip!"


	7. Note

**Okay, I think I've fixed the code issue.(:**  
Hello Readers,

I am so sorry for the long delay in posting chapters. This year has been utterly chaotic for me, between health issues and my University work I just haven't had the time or chance to publish what I've wanted to. Thank you for sticking with my stories, I really appreciate it. I also wanted you guys to know that on New Years I will start posting again! Finally, am I right! Haha! On New Years I will be posting a new chapter for Eyes of Wildfyre and the week after there will be a new chapter of The Last Dragon. My posting schedule will be every other week from then on, so one week will be Eyes of Wildfyre and the next will be The Last Dragon, and the pattern will continue from there. Again I want to thank you all so much, I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and I will 'see' you all again on New Years!

Sincerely, Carrie


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